The invention relates to improvements in the treatment of wounds.
Thermal injuries require a unique combination of therapy and dressing as the physiologic functions of the skin are absent or, at best, materially impaired. Various proposals have been made to provide a film or protective barrier to the involved lesion including generally providing polymer compositions capable of forming in situ pinhole-free, mechanically strong, translucent or transparent or opaque, non-tacky dressing. Typically, such procedures include application of a normally liquid organic vehicle to the affected area followed by or simultaneously with a powdery hydrophilic polymer. The bandage or dressing thus being formed is a plastic film of hydrophilic polymer solvated into the liquid organic vehicle. Notwithstanding clinical acceptance of such dressing and technique, clinicians reported that the film set-up time, i.e., that amount of time from when the organic vehicle and hydrophilic polymer come into contact on the burned tissue until the desired film burn dressing is achieved, was in many cases excessive, oftentimes taking longer than one hour. The set-up time is inconvenient, often painful, to the patient who must maintain the treated area in immobile condition. This is particularly true in instances of larger burn wounds.
Furthermore it is old to form a burn dressing in situ by spraying alternating layers of an inert, normally liquid, organic vehicle (hereinafter oftentimes referred to as "solvent" for convenience), e.g., polyethylene glycol 400, and particulate hydrophilic polymer, e.g., three dimensional polymer of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. Apparently solvation or plasticization occurs and with time, the two components (polymer solvated in the solvent) "set" yielding a plasticized, integral, non-tacky, occlusive dressing of the order of several tenths mm., e.g., 0.3 to 0.7 mm. thick (dependent on how many alternating layers are applied). Spray delivery of the two components is achieved using compressed gas sources (nitrogen tank, compressor, etc.) and requires additional equipment such as glass dispensers, tubing, cut-off assemblies, etc., to be used. This spraying technique, when done properly by trained personnel, yields films of excellent quality. However, this application method is very tedious and cumbersome and the quality of the resulting films are totally dependent on the technique of application and quantity of the components being sprayed.